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Las Cruces senator delivers rebuttal to governor's State of the State address

Soules claims governor's speech was full of gimmicks

By Walter Rubel

wrubel@lcsun-news.com

on Twitter @WalterRubel

Posted:
01/21/2014 04:41:24 PM MST

Bill Soules

In his Democratic rebuttal to Gov. Susana Martinez's State of the State Address on Tuesday, Sen. Bill Soules, D-Las Cruces, claimed the governor was long on gimmicks but short on real solutions.

Soules, a Las Cruces educator, said he was disappointed by both what the governor did say in her address, and what she didn't. There was no mention of the state's crippling poverty, nor concerns with the Children Youth and Families Department in the wake of a recent child abuse death in Albuquerque, nor the state's mental health system, which was turned over to an Arizona provider this year amid fraud allegations.

"She never even mentioned these, and they are as important to the people of New Mexico as Baby Brianna," Soules said, referring to the 2002 brutal murder in Las Cruces that Martinez prosecuted as district attorney and referenced Tuesday.

Soules took issue with the governor's education reform plans. He said that he would have been held back in third grade had such a plan been in effect. And, he said her teacher evaluation system would not work.

"Merit pay does not work in a system like education where all of our teachers are dedicated to the child," he claimed.

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Soules said his constitutional amendment to increase the minimum wage would do more to improve economic conditions in the state that the governor's proposal. A bill to hike the minimum wage was passed last year but vetoed by Martinez, who supported a smaller jump.

"It's a civil rights issue," Soules said, noting that New Mexico had the largest discrepancy in the nation between those at the top of the wage scale and those at the bottom.

Soules said the Legislature supports Martinez on the need to address water issues, but will not give up 60 percent of capital outlay funding without a say in how that money is spent. And, he said he was disappointed that she is again bringing up the issue of driver's licenses for those in the nation illegally.

"The governor is using this issue as a political wedge issue," Soules contended. "In New Mexico, we have not had any issues with this being a 'dangerous' law," Soules said. "It improves public safety and allows the legal and responsible use of automobiles."

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